The state of play - Bristol City on the verge of promotion

14 April 2015

Ryan Percival

Bristol City will become the first team to win promotion in The Football League this term if they register a victory at Bradford City on Tuesday.

The Sky Bet League 1 table-toppers are 13 points clear of third and will return to the Sky Bet Championship after a two-year absence with a win at Valley Parade, where they haven’t triumphed in a league game since 1908.

Steve Cotterill's side have an eight-point lead over second-placed Preston North End after sharing a weekend draw with their promotion rivals, to go 11 unbeaten, while the Bantams are ninth, seven points off the top six having lost three of their last four.

At the wrong end of Sky Bet League 1 the battle to avoid the drop is intensifying, but Yeovil Town suffered relegation at the weekend following a draw with Notts County.

Colchester United in 23rd (44 points) trail safety by three points, but they're only seven behind 15th-placed Walsall.

Sky Bet Championship

In the Sky Bet Championship, the top four all recorded wins at the weekend to ensure it remains incredibly tight with four games to go.

Bournemouth lead the way on 80, while Middlesbrough are fourth on 78 points, with Norwich City and Watford sandwiched in between on 79, ahead of Tuesday night's matches.

The Cherries are at Reading, Norwich go to Leeds, Boro host Wolves, and Watford are in action 24 hours later, when they visit Nottingham Forest.

At the other end, Wigan Athletic and Millwall remain seven points from safety, and the two go head-to-head on Tuesday at The Den in a significant match.

Sky Bet League 2

Tuesday's big game in Sky Bet League 2 sees second-placed Shrewsbury Town travel to fourth-placed Bury, and the Shrews will seal promotion if they win and Southend United, who are fifth, fail to beat Newport County.

Micky Mellon's men are riding a six-game winning run but David Flitcroft's Shakers are also on form, with nine victories in their last 11 outings.

Leaders Burton Albion are a point better off than Shrewsbury (84) so would secure their first ever promotion to Sky Bet League 1 if Bury and Southend both fail to win, and they take all three points at home to Carlisle United on Wednesday.

At the foot of League 2, it looks like a three-way battle between Cheltenham Town (24th, 37 points), Tranmere Rovers (23rd, 39) and Hartlepool United (22nd, 40).

Mansfield and Carlisle are the two teams directly above (both on 45 points) and Tranmere face the former on Tuesday. A win for Micky Adams' side would thicken the plot, dragging the Stags into the battle.